Kentucky Department of Agriculture officials have concluded a horse that was recently diagnosed as having Potomac horse fever Keeneland's training center on Rice Road in Lexington, Ky., did not contract the illness and wasn't introduced to the disease's causitive agent while he was stabled on the grounds.

State veterinary officials were alerted July 30 when a horse that had been stabled at the facility tested positive for the disease, Rusty Ford, equine programs manager in the Office of State Veterinarian Robert Stout, said in a release.

"Our investigation found the horse developed a fever in the days following his arrival at the training facility from an area farm," Ford said. "With the fever not easily resolved the colt was moved to an equine hospital for veterinary care and diagnostics. In consultation with the horse's attending veterinarian and the internist caring for the horse at the hospital, we are confident that there is no evidence that leads us to believe the horse contracted the disease causing agent in the less than five days he was at the training center."

Potomac Horse Fever is caused by a type of bacteria called Neoriketssia risticie and is associated with hot weather and aquatic insects. It is a condition found in Kentucky during the hot summer months. Agriculture and veterinary officials have recently noted an increase in the number of PHF cases diagnosed in several eastern states, Ford said